


In Sickness and in Health

by PaintedMirror



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-02
Updated: 2014-10-02
Packaged: 2018-02-19 14:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2391881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaintedMirror/pseuds/PaintedMirror
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felicity falls ill, and Oliver steps in to take care of her. But she might just be taking care of him instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Sickness and in Health

The shrill ringing of Felicity's cell pierced through her feverish dreams. She dug her way out from under her covers and stretched until her fingers closed around the phone. It took all her remaining strength to snake her arm back under the comforter and hit the answer button.

"'Lo?" she croaked.

"Felicity?" It was Oliver. He sounded concerned, and maybe a little unsure. She probably didn't sound anything like herself.

She made a noise of assent, too tired to actually form words.

"When you didn't come in this morning, I was worried."

Felicity knew the first thing Oliver would assume was that she had been taken. She could hear the strain in his voice, and wanted to reassure him. To tell him she had just eaten some bad shellfish the night before and spent her entire evening throwing up every last ounce of her stomach's contents; to tell him she was so exhausted that when she briefly woke up this morning on her bathroom floor, it was  
only due to her immense willpower that she could crawl back to bed, but she had none left over to pick up her phone and call him to say why she wouldn't be in the office today.

Well, she wanted to tell him all that but less...gruesomely.

"Sick," Felicity rasped. She hoped that one single word contained everything he needs to know.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asked, and Felicity could hear the relief in his voice that she was, at the very least, fine, if not entirely well.

"Sleep," she slurred, pushing the phone away and not even bothering to hang up.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When Felicity next awoke, it was because a feather-light touch was brushing her hair away from her forehead and behind her ear. She looked up and was met with familiar blue eyes.

"No," she moaned, burying her face in her covers.

"No?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Here?"

"Why am I here?" Oliver asked, a hint of a smile in his voice as he pulled the covers back to reveal her face.

Felicity made another sound of assent, infusing it with as much annoyance as she could muster, but she didn't think it came through.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Oliver said, his voice softening. She felt the tickle of his fingers against her forehead again. "You left your phone on and I heard you muttering in your sleep."

Oh God. What had she said?

"Sick," Felicity mumbled, hoping that was a good enough excuse.

"With a fever," Oliver said, pressing his hand against her cheek. Felicity's heart sped up like it always did, but this time she saw black dots dancing in front of her eyes.

"Too much touching," Felicity said, surprised at the effort it took for her to spit out three words in a row. Oliver was probably relieved she wasn't her usual loquacious self.

"Does it hurt?" Oliver asked, drawing his hand away.

Felicity shook her head and immediately regretted it. She closed her eyes against the pain. "Feels good," she said. "Makes me dizzy."

Even in the throes of death, unable to utter more than a few words at a time, Felicity Smoak still said too much.

"How did you get sick so quickly? You were fine yesterday."

"Shellfish," Felicity said. "Bad, bad shellfish."

"Food poisoning," Oliver said. It wasn't a question; it was an understanding, like he intimately knew the feeling of your insides wanting to become your outsides.

Felicity nodded her head. It took a moment for the room to stop spinning.

"You look terrible," Oliver said, pushing her hair back from her face once more.

Felicity moaned and tried to hide under the covers again, but Oliver wouldn't let her.

"Have you had anything to eat or drink since you got sick?"

"No," Felicity said, realizing how dry her mouth was now. It felt like it was full of glue.

"Let me get you some water."

Felicity felt the bed shift as Oliver's weight was lifted from it. She instantly felt colder, and realized he had been sitting close enough to her that his warmth had seeped through three blankets and a sheet to reach her skin.

But before Felicity could miss Oliver's comforting heat too much, he was back at her side, holding a glass out to her. Felicity took the water with shaking hands, unsure if she even had the energy to bring it to her lips.

"Here," Oliver said softly, cupping his hand around the back of her head and gently pulling her forward. He braced her hand and helped her take a long sip of the water. When she was finished, he took the glass and gently lay her back down, bringing the blankets back up around her shoulders.

"Thanks," Felicity said, noticing that it was a little easier to speak and that her voice was a little stronger.

"You need some soup," Oliver said.

She groaned. "No food."

"It'll make you feel better, I promise. Sleep now. I'll be back."

"Nooo," Felicity said, reaching out her hand. "Warm."

Oliver took her hand and leaned down, kissing the top of her head and tucking the covers tighter around her. The shiver that went through her had nothing to do with her sickness.

"I'll be back soon," he whispered. "Sleep."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Felicity woke up to a delicious aroma wafting from her kitchen. A slight twinge of nausea was overpowered by the rumble in her stomach.

"You're up," Oliver said from the corner, where he had dragged a kitchen chair into her room to apparently keep vigil over her.

Felicity's stomach rumbled again, and Oliver laughed. "And hungry."

She tried to answer him, but her mouth felt like it was cemented shut. She sat up, surprised when a wave of dizziness didn't pass over her, and reached for the half empty glass of water. She gulped it down.

"I'll get you more," Oliver said, gliding from the room in that silent way he had mastered while on the island.

Felicity looked around her room and blinked. She felt lost, unsure of the time or even the day. It was dark out, but was it morning or night? How long had she slept? How long had Oliver been at her side?

"Here," Oliver whispered, pressing a fresh glass of water into her hand.

Felicity drank it dry and set it on her nightstand. She grabbed her glasses and pushed them up her nose, acutely aware that she probably looked like the victim of a hurricane. She tried to subtly calm the tangle that was her hair.

"What day is it?" she asked, yawning.

"Tuesday," answered Oliver.

"Time?"

"About 8:00 at night."

"So I was out for..."

"Two days from the office."

Felicity groaned as fell back against her pillow. Then she gasped and immediately sat up again, this time definitely feeling a dizzy spell lighten her head.

"Have you been Arrowing? Is everything okay? Did you need me? I should've called. I was just so tired. Is Diggle touching my computers? You know I don't like it when anyone touches my computers."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad to see you got your voice back."

Felicity blushed. "Sorry. I know. I talk too much. I'm trying to work on it." Felicity grimaced. "And failing miserably."

Oliver cocked his head to the side and gave her one of those small, amused smiles she liked so much.

Before he could answer, though, her stomach growled again.

"Come on, you need to eat. Can you walk?"

"I think so," Felicity said, throwing her covers off and placing her feet gingerly on the floor. She was shaking slightly, and when she stood, the floor rushed to meet her.

Before her face connected with the hardwood, strong hands caught her. Oliver righted her and tucked her under his arm, cupping her face and making her look at him.

"I don't think you're okay," he said, his brows knit together. He searched her eyes like they would tell him exactly what was wrong with her. Felicity felt dizzy again, but for a completely different reason.

"I-I need to shower," Felicity said, breaking free of Oliver's gaze and looking down at her feet. "And to put on pants, apparently."

"Pants would be good," Oliver said, his voice a little lower than it was before. Felicity looked back up at him, but he was looking away now. "But I don't know if you should attempt a shower yet. What if you pass out?"

"If I feel dizzy, I'll sit down. I have to shower. I feel gross and...you're here. I have to shower."

"I can leave?" Oliver asked, and he looked momentarily worried Felicity would say yes.

"No," she said quickly, her heart pounding a little faster. "It's fine. Just give me ten minutes."

Oliver nodded and gently let her go, making sure she was steady on her feet before moving away.

Felicity pulled some clothes out of her dresser and headed off to the bathroom on shaky feet, Oliver close behind. She was hyper aware of her bare legs and pale skin. She gave Oliver a small smile before closing the door behind her. She couldn't bring herself look in the mirror to see what he'd been looking at for the past two days. She turned on the water and got in before it even heated up all the way.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"It smells amazing," Felicity said as she emerged from the bathroom, dressed in sweats and a long sweater, her hair still wet and falling over her shoulders.

"Thanks," Oliver said, turning to face her. His eyebrows rose as he took her in, and a small smile played around on his lips. "You look better."

"Thanks. Also, pants," she said, laughing nervously and pointing down at her sweats.

Oliver nodded, that smile still in place, and turned back to the huge pot of soup boiling on her stove.

"Did you make this?" she asked, standing next to them. It felt oddly intimate, him standing in her kitchen and making a meal.

"Yeah. It's easy on the stomach, but it'll fill you up, too. I used to eat it a lot on the island."

"The island?" Felicity asked, peering hesitantly into the pot. "What's in it?"

Oliver laughed. "Nothing out of the ordinary, I promise. Before I knew what was safe, I ate some things that I really shouldn't have. Yao Fei taught me what was good to eat. And what helped when all I wanted to do was puke up my guts."

"Good enough for me," Felicity said. She reached for the cabinet that held her bowls, but Oliver was already there.

"Sorry," he said, looking strangely guilty. "I had to look around for a glass for your water, so I remembered where they were."

Felicity tilted her head to the side and searched him. "You're welcome here, Oliver. You know that, right?" When Oliver didn't say anything, Felicity knit her brows together. "Why wouldn't you be?"

"I just...If I were you, I'd want to keep the Arrow and your home life separate."

"You are my life," Felicity said. "I mean, the Arrow is my life. My whole life. So you are too."

"That's what worries me," Oliver said, and she recognized his tone of voice. It was the one he used when he thought they needed _to talk_.

"There isn't anything I'd rather be doing with my life. And no one else I'd rather being doing it with. I love what I do. And I love doing it with you." Felicity's eyes went wide. "You know what I mean. Please tell me you know what I mean."

"I know what you mean," Oliver said, his half smile growing into a full one.

Oliver and Felicity filled their bowls and made their way into the living room.

"Do you want to watch a movie? I think I have a few that aren't Disney classics."

"I like Disney," Oliver said, shrugging lazily.

"You like Disney?" Felicity raised an eyebrow.

"Who doesn't like Disney?" Oliver asked, and Felicity laughed at his incredulity.

"Well, if playboy millionaires can admit they like Disney, then I guess anyone can."

"I'm not a barbarian," Oliver muttered, and Felicity laughed loudly.

"Any preferences?" she asked.

" _Tangled_?"

"Sure. My favorite," she said, popping open the case. "I figured you'd be more of a _Brave_ kinda guy, with all the bows and arrows and stuff."

"It's a good one, don't get me wrong, but I prefer the one where the girl changes the guy. Makes him a better person. And they fall in love. It's more relateable."

Felicity's hand stilled over the DVD player. She didn't turn to look at Oliver, but she could feel his eyes burning into the back of her head.

Felicity cleared her throat and put the disc in the drive, then returned to the couch without looking at him. She pressed play and dug into her soup. Her eyes went wide.

"Whoa," she said, staring down at her bowl like it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"You like it?"

"It's amazing!" she said, looking up at him and forgetting the flush that had previously reddened her cheeks.

Oliver looked proud as he picked up his own bowl and tucked in.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Felicity set her bowl aside with a satisfied sigh.

"Feel better?" asked Oliver.

"Much. What was in that?"

"It's a secret."

Felicity rolled her eyes and smiled up at him. She became suddenly aware of just how close they were sitting. His thigh pressed up against hers. His shoulder against her shoulder. When he shifted slightly, the back of their hands brushed.

"Sorry," Felicity said, scooting away. "Didn't mean to invade your personal space. You're just so warm."

"It's okay," Oliver said. "Are you cold?"

"I'm okay," she said, though it wasn't very convincing. As soon as she had moved away from Oliver, she had regretted it. He didn't just warm her skin; he warmed her to the very center of her body.

Oliver gave her a knowing look and left the couch. He returned with one of the blankets from her bed and draped it over both of them. Then he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close.

"Better?"

Felicity didn't dare speak, so she just nodded her head and enjoyed the strength of Oliver all around her. He was so solid and comforting. She knew that if she was in his arms, nothing would ever happen to her.

"Relax," Oliver whispered after a few minutes, and Felicity realized all her muscles were clenched and she was stiff against him.

Felicity exhaled and sunk into his chest. Oliver let out a contented sigh and squeezed her shoulder. She was sure he could feel her heart pounding against him, but he didn't say anything, and for that she was grateful.

It was only when Oliver shifted slightly that Felicity realized she had fallen asleep. She looked around blearily and saw Oliver checking his phone.

"Sorry," she mumbled against his shoulder. She was not quite ready to remove herself from his embrace.

"For what?" Oliver rubbed his hand up and down her arm and she couldn't stop the happy little moan that escaped her mouth. Oliver's hand faltered for a fraction of a second, but continued to trace a line on her shoulder.

"Falling asleep," she said.

"You needed it."

"Anything important?" she asked, nodding toward his phone.

"Nothing that can't wait till later," he said, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

"Oliver..." Felicity pushed herself up and into more of a sitting position. She ignored the chill that coursed through her as she moved away from his body heat. "Have you been Arrowing?"

"Starling is fine. If it wasn't, I'd be out there."

"Have you been going to work?"

"I'm allowed to take a few days off."

"Oliver!"

"What?" he said, so innocently she was caught off guard. "I had to make sure my girl is okay."

"I'm fine, Oliver. You don't have to halt your entire life because I got food poisoning."

"I'm not."

Felicity raised an eyebrow at him.

He looked away and shrugged. "Maybe I want to."

"I know I was pretty sick, but I wasn't on my death bed."

"I just...like taking care of you. I like knowing you're safe. I like knowing you need me."

"I always need you," she said, confused. Wasn't it obvious?

"You don't need me," Oliver said, removing his arm from her shoulders and looking down at his hands. "And sometimes I think you'd be better off without me."

"How many times have you saved my life? I think that constitutes me needing you."

"You wouldn't have been in those situations if it wasn't for me in the first place."

"Or maybe I would have and there wouldn't have been anyone there to save me. There's no way of knowing."

Oliver looked at her then, his eyes so pleading and vulnerable it took her breath away.

"Tell me you need me," he said.

"I need you," Felicity whispered.

Felicity felt her eyes go wide as Oliver dropped his mask entirely for the first time she had ever known him. He'd looked vulnerable before, but nothing like this, young and innocent and like a completely new person. Felicity vaguely wondered if anyone had seen this version of Oliver before, or if it was only for her.

"Oliver," she said, infusing her voice with as much emotion as she could possibly muster. "I need you."

Oliver's hand came up to brush her hair away from her face, but instead of letting it drop, he kept it there, cupping her cheek and stroking his thumb over her cheekbone.

Felicity pressed against his hand, reveling in the feel of the callouses on his fingers. Maybe most girls would think they were too rough, too unsightly. But she thought they were heroic.

"Felicity," Oliver whispered, so quiet it was like a breath against her face.

"Tell me," she said.

"Tell you what?" Oliver's voice was low, gruff.

"That you need me too."

Oliver took in a shaky breath. "There is no one I need more than I need you, Felicity." He paused just long enough for her to inhale a ragged breath as well. "And there is no one I want more than you."

Felicity had just enough time to swallow loudly before Oliver leaned in and kissed her. It was gentle at first, exploratory. He was testing his limits, making sure she was comfortable.

But all it was doing was making her impatient.

All the time they had spent together and all the emotion that had built up between them came pouring out of Felicity. She grabbed Oliver's face and leaned forward, opening her mouth and inviting him in.

Oliver didn't hesitate. His tongue was inside, flicking and rubbing and dancing between her teeth. His hands moved to her waist and slid under her sweatshirt, caressing her skin and making her heart beat even faster.

Felicity didn't need any other reason. She pushed Oliver down on the couch and he took up its whole length. She climbed on top of him, never once breaking contact. And when she ran her hands under his shirt and up his chest, the hum that came from his throat set her bones on fire.

It wasn't until they were both dizzy and out of breath that they stopped and stared at each other. Felicity let out a nervous chuckle.

"What?"

She shook her head. "I never would've thought that could happen in a hundred years."

"Why not?" Oliver asked. He was running his hands up and down her thighs and it was all she could do to focus on the words coming out of his mouth.

"Because guys like you don't kiss girls like me."

Oliver stilled. He looked sad. And then he looked angry. He sat up and they were suddenly face to face, Felicity still straddling his hips. She tried not to think about what was just below her, despite the fact that she could just make out the shape and feel of his hardness.

"You are the single best person I have ever met, Felicity Smoak. Guys like me don't kiss girls like you because we don't deserve you. I'm not a good person. And I don't think I ever will be."

Felicity could see she was losing Oliver, and quickly. She took his face in her hands and planted a gentle kiss on his lips.

"You are the single best person I have ever met, Oliver Queen. I forget that you don't see what I see when I look at you. You're so much more than a vigilante. You're a hero. This city needs you, even when they don't deserve you. Especially then."

Felicity sucked in a shaky breath. "You forget that I know the real you, Oliver. I see you when you take your mask off. Not the green one. The rich playboy mask. I know what you worry about at night, and it's not what you'll wear on your next night out. And I know that your mistakes stick with you more than anything else, but you've made many more right choices than wrong ones. That's all any of us can ask for in life."

Oliver stared at Felicity for so long without speaking, her face grew warm and she started fidgeting.

"Amazing," Oliver said, barely breathing.

"What is?"

"You," he said simply. "The fact that you see all of that in me gives me hope. You give me hope, Felicity. You're all I need."

Oliver captured her mouth once more, pulling her close and making her forget anything else existed.


End file.
